“The Pickup”: When Chaos Is the Point
There's a pile of cash. A woman perched on top of it. Two armored truck drivers in matching vests. And explosions—because of course there are explosions. That's the new poster for The Pickup, Amazon MGM Studios' latest attempt to bottle buddy-comedy lightning in a Prime Video flask. It's loud, it's glossy, and it's trying very hard to be funny. Whether it succeeds is another matter.
Directed by Tim Story (Barbershop, Ride Along), The Pickup stars Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson as Russell and Travis—two armored truck drivers whose routine shift turns into a full-blown heist disaster. They're ambushed by Zoe (Keke Palmer), a criminal mastermind with ambitions that stretch far beyond the cash cargo. Eva Longoria rounds out the central cast as Natalie Pierce, with support from Ismael Cruz Córdova, Jack Kesy, Andrew Dice Clay, Marshawn Lynch, and Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa'i.
The film drops globally on August 6, 2025, exclusively on Prime Video.
The Poster: A Study in Studio-Slick Symbolism
Let's start with the obvious. The poster screams “streaming spectacle.” Murphy sits stoically in the background, Davidson's mouth taped shut (subtle, that), and Palmer lounges atop a literal mountain of money. Longoria stands near an armored truck, looking like she wandered in from a different movie entirely. The tagline? “It's Pros vs. Con.” Cute. But also a warning.
This isn't a film about nuance. It's about chaos. And the poster knows it.
The Setup: Familiar, But Functional
The official synopsis reads like a checklist of genre tropes:
“A routine cash pickup takes a wild turn when two mismatched armored truck drivers… are ambushed by ruthless criminals… with plans that go way beyond the cash cargo.”
We've seen this before. Hell, we saw it better when Midnight Run was still fresh. But The Pickup isn't trying to reinvent the wheel—it's trying to spin it fast enough that you don't notice it's wobbling.
Murphy plays the seasoned pro. Davidson, the reckless rookie. Palmer, the brains behind the operation. It's a formula. But sometimes formulas work—if the chemistry's right.
The Talent: A Mixed Bag of Firepower
Murphy's presence alone gives the film a shot of credibility. He's been through enough cinematic highs and lows to know how to anchor a scene, even when the writing falters. Davidson, for all his deadpan charm, risks becoming a one-note distraction. Palmer, on the other hand, might be the film's secret weapon—if the script lets her be more than just “the mastermind.”
Tim Story directs with his usual blend of kinetic pacing and broad humor. The screenplay, penned by Gentlemen Lobsters scribes Kevin Burrows and Matt Mider, leans heavily into banter and spectacle. Whether it lands or not will depend on how well the cast can sell the chaos.
Production Notes: Not All Smooth Sailing
Filming began in Atlanta in April 2024, and not without incident. A second-unit crash involving an armored truck and a car left several crew members injured. It's a grim reminder that behind every explosion on screen, there's a real team risking more than just bad reviews.
Final Take: Will It Stick the Landing?
The Pickup wants to be a summer blockbuster with streaming swagger. It has the cast. It has the premise. It even has a poster that practically shouts, “Watch me!”
But here's the thing: comedy is timing. Action is rhythm. And streaming comedies often miss both. If Murphy and Palmer can ground the madness, and if Story resists the urge to over-edit every punchline, this might just work.
Then again, I've been burned before. Remember Red Notice?
